Mr Lucas and Emergency Services Minister
Neil Roberts
on Tuesday visited isolated Chinchilla in in central Queensland. From the air he inspected the flood-ravaged Dalby district, also in the Darling Downs, and the Warwick region in the south-east.

Chinchilla, Dalby and Theodore have been declared disaster areas. Towns that have been hard hit include Theodore, Mundubbera and Gayndah.

More than 300 roads, including most of the state's highways, are cut off in some places.

"Early estimates of the cost of replacing essential public assets is close to $620 million," Mr Lucas said in a statement.

"Today, the damage bill looks like it will be more than a billion."

The damage to roads alone will be staggering, but the final extent will not be known or able to be assessed until floodwaters recede.

The billion-dollar bill does not include the cost of damage to personal property or crops.

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Mr Roberts said joint state and federal government disaster relief funding was extended to a further seven councils on Tuesday.

The Burdekin Shire, Charters Towers, Hinchinbrook Shire, Ipswich City, Logan City, Townsville City and the Southern Downs regional councils can each now access assistance to cover the cost of counter-disaster operations.

"This brings the total number of councils covered across the state to 38," Mr Roberts said in a statement.

Meanwhile, residents of Theodore will be offered financial help through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements to help them recover from the record-breaking flooding in the region.

Grants will also be available to help uninsured Theodore residents whose homes have been flooded obtain essential household goods and repair homes.

Concessional loans and freight subsidies are also being offered to primary producers in Banana Shire and the Central Highlands.